Many words have been written about why the 1971 hardback has consistently been the most expensive of all almanacks published since 1948. Indeed when average prices over the past 12 months are taken into consideration a 1971 in super condition has been selling for around £120. This poses the question, why is it so expensive?

Basil D’Oliveira has been given as the single reason why the 1971 is so costly, or rather the circumstances surrounding him. Of course D’Oliveira was a pawn in a very large political chess game that changed world cricket for decades and the actions of the cricketing authorities between 1969 and 1970 have directly led to the expensive price collectors have to pay for the Almanack of 1971.